Characteristics of UNIX Directories and Files

When you use BPAM to access a UNIX directory, it appears to the program as a PDS or PDSE directory. A UNIX directory is divided into sequentially organized files (members), each described by the directory entry. You can use the BLDL and FIND macros to search a UNIX directory. You can code the path name with or without a trailing slash.

The UNIX files have the following characteristics:

BPAM treats UNIX files as members.
UNIX files can be regular files, special character files, hard or soft link (symbolic) files, or named pipes.
Each UNIX file has a unique name of 1-to-8 characters.
File names are case-sensitive.
You can use BSAM or QSAM to read individual UNIX files in a directory.
You can add, rename, or delete UNIX members in a directory, but not through BPAM.